How Color Can Change Your State of Mind

Colors in a person’s environment can have a dramatic effect on his or her mood state. While people often associate mood-related color theory with New Age belief systems such as chakras, many psychologists have reported that mere exposure to color can alter not only mood, but also performances on specific tasks such as exams. One study showed that exposing subjects to the color red negatively affected performance on exams.

Red can be a stimulating color, which may provoke anxiety or even anger. Blue has a well-known calming effect on people’s moods, making it a great color for rooms that are meant to be serene. Research shows that people are more productive in blue rooms. Green is also calming and relieves stress, and even improves reading speed and comprehension. Yellow is an energizing and cheerful color thought to stimulate the metabolism.

There are several ways to promote certain moods by altering your color environment. The most obvious possibility is changing your wall color with fresh paint, but this is labor-intensive and there are many other options. Another option is to drape colored fabrics over some walls or furniture. For example, if you happen to have a red bedroom and find it disruptive to sleep, you could drape a blue canopy over the bed to create a more restful environment. If your apartment has white walls, it may feel empty and sterile, but you can create warmth by lighting the room with a yellow tint. Then you have the option of changing the feel of the room by changing the color of the light.

Even the objects in your surroundings can affect your mood. If you often become agitated while working, consider removing red, yellow and orange objects and replacing them with cool tones. Conversely, if you feel lethargic while working out, consider removing blue, purple, and green objects from your workout space and replacing them with warm tones.